


New World Never-Ending

by Beauty_Rush



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-08-25 10:42:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16659676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beauty_Rush/pseuds/Beauty_Rush
Summary: Melanie was just trying to protect family, she didn't expect to gain much from grouping together. But then again, she was new to the zombie apocalypse rules...still learning.





	1. The Beginning

        Melanie had come home. For the first time since she had begun living with her grandparents, she came for her mothers birthday, sounding nervous on the phone when she had asked but the whole way it felt like going to school for the very first time. She had managed a positive outlook on it…up till the second she made it past the four-way and became more observant to her surroundings.

Everywhere available was pack full of either cars or people, the road full of people honking their horns in panic.

        Her head was turned in curiosity, looking at the gas station only to see the disarray and speed up. It was eerie, made the hair on the back of her neck stand up at the sight of so many fights between people. Where were the cops? It was such a small county that surely they had been called by some soccer mom or concerned citizen. Her mind reasoned that it was because of the over packed roads. Cops could only travel at the same pace as traffic.

        Chewing on her thumb, she kept her eyes on the road only occasionally. Only coming back when she turned the vehicle onto a backroad. Keeping her cellphone near in case any of the local crazy decided to fuck with the wrong girl.

Reaching for the dash to find her pepper spray to set it on the passenger seat.

        Next thing she knew when she looked up there was a man, stumbling in the road while she only had time to hit the breaks _after_ hitting him. The car fishtailed but stayed on the road, the thudding of his body on the hood of her car sickened her. Her heart scrapping across the asphalt with him at the thought he was dead, leveling her breathing she checked the rearview mirror.

        He laid twisted in a heap on the pavement. In seconds she unbuckled her seatbelt, ducking out her door to run for him with her cell phone in hand. Dialing 911 as she listened to his rasping breaths.

What the fuck was he doing in the woods?! His clothes were torn and dirty, probably a homeless man. Her phones dial tone added to her stress tenfold, redialing in frustration.

        The more she stared in concern the more her mind whirred, she was grateful he laid face down. She didn’t think she had it in her to know his expression. He had blood on his clothes. Not only on the places where his body scrapped against the ground. It didn’t look new either, the liquid thick, brown and dried already. By the 4th phone call she snapped her phone shut a little harder than necessary, looking around on the empty road.

        “S-sir?” She had whispered and leaned forward, only slightly. He stirred a bit and it motivated her to move closer, “Ar—you, are you.” Her voice got caught in her throat and she cleared it, squatting next to him. “You alive?” he moaned, letting her exhale a sigh of relief.

        A quick jog to the trunk of her car she rifled for the flair gun. He was going to need serious medical attention ASAP and she had no other way. She tossed miscellaneous things out to make room for the search, holding it as she shook with immense nerves.  She returned to comfort him again.

       “There ain’t no connection out here but I’m sure someone’s bound to drive by.” She rubbed his shoulder to comfort him as she spoke quickly. “Jus’ hang on.” She folded her hand into his dirty one, finally able to calm down a little herself.  

       His grip turned surprisingly tight for someone who’s arm was bend at a 90-degree angle, “Sir?” Melanie tried to pull her hand back when he started to growl lowly. Her eyes widened when he finally pulled his head up to look at her.

       His eyes were foggy but it didn’t have any emotion, even from her horrified gasp. She tried to pull again but it only pulled his face up from the cement even more. She fell back in her surprise, he clicked his teeth at her with his cheek missing.

       She had been able to slow to 30 miles an hour but it seems like his neck took more force than his skull did. It make a sickening crunch every time he lolled his head to reach for her. She finally peeled his hand from her wrist with a wince and crawled back as fast as she could. It wasn’t a sight seen every day. He still crawled and she yelped, reaching on the hot road for anything and coming back with a tire iron she vaguely remembered clanging on the ground. She hesitated to hurt him still, building up to it. In her mind she could give him an out of whatever happened to him. The thought process sped up when she could see a mile down the road there were two others that staggered.

Didn’t make it any easier thinking about it before, during, or after. All she knew is something was happening, something she missed. She needed to get to her family. They had to be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

        Melanie had to make it to her family, she had to. There was no way they could survive separately and she had to see they were okay. She sped down 70 and made sharp turn down 139, passing the Fulton airport. 

        She couldn’t risk stopping for anything…even a group who had ran for the metal fence, banging on it and begging. It made her tear as she forced herself to keep her eyes on the road coldly. No, she wouldn’t risk it when she was so close to home. There were more of those… _things_ just behind them and she didn’t have anything to help beside her car. It wasn’t worth it and she had already evaluated what was.

They needed defenses and offenses. What food, water, and other materials they could carry.

        Kingsbridge wasn’t in chaos just yet, well not at least to the extent that she had seen. The reanimated corpses had been banging on the gate of the airport so she doubted it would stay this way. People had been piling in their cars, a few even banging on her windows. She left it running in hopes they could get back to it.

        “Shh!” Melanie quieted her sisters excitement harshly, feeling guilty at her sad face, she had smiled in reassurance. Holding her arms out for a big hug. Stiffening when her father had spoke up.

        “You brought more here!” He barked in a whisper but Melanie shook her head, pointing her crowbar to the direction the road was in.

        “I was almost here when it started, they were already on their way. More are comin’.” She could think about what she did wrong later but her father sucked his teeth at her, sweating and shaking while her mother tried to calm him.

At least _one_ of her parents looked at her with relief.

        “What’s happening?” Melanie hadn’t had a chance to get answers on the drive over.

        “Some kind of infection, the dead are rising to eat the livin’.” Her mother furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief, looking around as though the walls would crumble.

        “What do we do?” Melanie still needed guidance, having made it here but with little planned through. It took all her willpower to not panic.

        “I don’t know, honey.” Deborah sighed and shook her head. She was more distanced than Melanie remembered.

        Adam paced with his gun still in his hand. Melanie eyed her dad warily, he didn’t know how to shoot and that was mom’s so what happened to his that he had used for show?  

        “Well we have to do something.” She brought her hand from her sisters hair, bringing it to her side. Back onto her previous plan. They could gather what they could, dash for the woods instead of her car.

        “Wait, Mel, how do you know more are coming?” Her sister looked up at her with wide eyes.

        “I saw them at the airport, we can’t stay here.” The walkers that had followed her had doubled at this point, only attracting more with their dry moaning.

        “The hell we can’t! I am **not** going out there.” Adam looked at the windows as he shuddered. Melanie rolled her eyes at him.

        “Then don’t.” She meant it, if he wanted to stay that was fine but he wouldn’t drag down the rest of them. She was numbing at the memory of people being eaten now she was farther. It only served to fuel her into surviving. They could last a few months, at least until this ‘infection’ was sorted.

        “Trish, pack a bag.” Her sister listened intently but their father grabbed her sisters thin arm when she attempted to pass. Holding her in place.

        “You are not taking your sister out there!” His tone had her mother’s head swivel slowly, Deborah looked between her daughter and her husband, her attention overshadowed by the fact her mind was clearly elsewhere.

        “She can’t stay here, mom!” Melanie raised her voice while the dead scratched with more intensity at the front.

“Did you hear me? If I’m not going then we’re all not leaving.” Her dad looked empowered by the fact her mom hadn’t said anything to the contrary.

         “There was an army posted at the airport though.” Her mother whispered, finally breaking the tension between the two with her voice shaking in fear. She looked to her mother desperately, surely she knew that it was for the best.

Melanie grimaced, her brother was supposed to have come. He was the one to make it every year so her hopes he stayed were dashed.

        “They didn’t make it.” Her tone was grave and her mom looked at her with tears. Maybe not numb enough, the strangers in her mind turning to her brother being torn apart.

        “Paul was coming home, he’s probably still out there.” Her mother clarified as though she missed the point. Breaking Melanie’s heart and having her wish there was time to comfort her.

        “W—.”

        “I told you he’s dead by now!” Her dad sighed in exasperation behind Debora, ignoring the fact that it crushed his wife further. Cutting off Melanie just as she got the courage to reach for Debora.

The un-dead were getting louder by the minute. Melanie looked as serious as she could without fear.

        “If he survived then it does us no good to be dead, we can leave a sign on the window or somethin’.” She added a light ‘okay?’ at the end. Melanie felt heartbroken but knew if she hesitated then it could be her, them. She could only hope that Paul made it to one of the camps.

         “I’ll gather what I can. Adam, go get the old backpacks from the closet.” It took a few beats while her mother’s mind snapped back into the current situation, her demeanor changing entirely.

         “But I—.” Melanie marched over to her sister and ripped her from her dad’s grip while he stuttered.

        “Meet back here in ten with what you can carry.” Her mother dared him to say different. Melanie’s heart soared for a second to see her mom regain her strength. It was where she learned her own stern glares.


	3. Chapter 3

        Ed was looking at Trisha. His gaze not once leaving her as she played with the makeup Melanie had found, it made her nervous but angry. Her mother was on a trip in town while her father ignored the girls, choosing to sit in the RV though Dale had offered it to the girls for their breaks, not him.

        Ed leaned in his chair, legs spread out while he itched at his chest. Everyone had gone about their business but she noticed Carol looking at her in concern before she caught her eye then looked away in submission. Trisha tugged on her sleeve while she maintained a hard glare at him.

        “Which color?” Trisha hit her sisters shoulder when she didn’t move to answer the question. Not paying attention to where Melanie looked thankfully.

        “Hmm, pink.” Melanie glanced at the palette of colors as Trisha swiped her finger on the color opposite then brushed it over her own eyelids, accenting her blue eyes. Not taking her advice and making her roll her eyes in humor. Why even ask if she knew which one was better?

        She was glad to give her sister a little normalcy, especially in this. Her mother told her they’d need to keep in touch with their humanities if they wanted to survive. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Melanie had the suspicion her mother only said that because her attitude had made it difficult for her. Melanie felt duller now she was stuck with her parents. Only spark of true happiness coming from Trisha.

        Melanie left her sister reluctantly to see Dale on his RV. Knowing it had only been a half hour since she last bugged him but unable to help herself.

        “You see them yet?” She popped up and squinted against the lowering sun. Not improving her gaze at the city but giving her something to do.

        “No but I’m confident in them.” Dale was a good man. Melanie often took him as an example of how she reasonable she should be. Vaguely wondering if that’s why her mother liked to visit him for their own discussions.

        “Didn’t say I wasn’t.” Being stuck at camp was the least productive thing she had done since the start of the infection. It rubbed her in the worst way, Glenn taking a team while she was here. It started as just him, going into the city undetected for as much as he could carry. Then, it had been the two of them. Glenn showing her how to memorize the streets as best he could but for the most part she just followed.

        It was easier that way and she felt like she contributed enough for her family to be comfortable in their positions within the smallish camp. It was more or less similar to Shane’s relationship with them all. He did heavy lifting while Lori gave the camp a sense of organization and humanity. Melanie was good with heavy lifting for the most part. It made her even more nervous at the aspect of the group doing better than she and Glenn ever could. How would she be valuable enough for them to not give them the boot? It was all she could think about as they went about their normal routine.

        The younger kids had gone with Carol to find some nuts or something. Amy helped occupy her sister usually. As her sister kept the kids busy. It worked out pretty well, gave Melanie time to build a small platform in the trees at some point. The vantage point wasn’t the best but it was useful in her eyes. Trisha had mentioned repeatedly that she needed a place for privacy so she supposed she had done it just to shut her up.

She expected the car to come any minute, hours ago. Ramping it up to _six_ new people was past pushing it in her mind, causing her nervousness.

        “That’s the third time since this morning you’ve asked me.” He smiled knowingly. ‘ _Damn him_ ’. He was too old to even misdirect.

        “We’ve been lucky, so far jus’ one of us is dead.” It slipped before she could stop it and Melanie felt shameful talking about Paul so simply but Dale had heard her speak of him fondly before. The letters he sent and how passionately she spoke before had her hoping he knew she meant it less harsh now.

        “Your mother said you guys didn’t know.” He formed the question open ended, concern radiating from him.

        “Not knowing, dead, same thing.” She leveled her tone after swallowing thickly. Taking the binoculars he offered, holding them limply by her side.

        “It’s not.” His tone had finality. Mentally, she sapped strength from him. Second best to having it herself.

        “Whatever. You kicked my dad out yet?” She brushed it off but his confidence stuck to her. Melanie hadn’t seen her father around the busy camp, assuming he had taken an extended break from the sun.

        “No, he said he hurt his ankle in the woods when he was looking for some berries.” He sighed and wiped his brow under his hat, glancing at the thin metal roof separating them from the cool inside.

        “Berries huh?” She scoffed, raising her eyebrows in genuine humor. It was a new excuse at least.

        “Yeah, why?” Avoiding the question, she reworded it in her mind before letting out the filtered version.

        “You and I both know he didn’t hurt shit.” She raised her voice so any occupants of the RV could hear.

        “I can hear you know!” Her dad banged up on the top where she sat next to Dale, she banged her fist down on it harder.

        “No damaging my RV or no one gets to rest inside.” Dale sucked in a calming breath. Speaking sternly and she felt embarrassed for hitting his vehicle, somewhat sheepish she looked to see if they were coming around the bend yet. Instead, she found Ed had inched closer to Trisha. His chair well enough from his tent.

Her blood boiled, quickly getting down to confront him. Ignoring Dale’s question of her urgency.

        “Careful where you set those creepy fuckin’ peepers, old man.” Melanie charged over while he stood, Carol not there to attempt to pull him back down to his chair with tears already fresh in her eyes.

        “I will look where I damn well please.” He stood tall when she reached him, taking a few steps to her. Melanie ignored the rest of the camp while she rounded him in disgust.

        “Will you?” she questioned, rolling her eyes when he scoffed.

        “Yes.” He spoke firmly and she smiled, stopping to look him in his fat face.

        “What if I give you two shiners?” She shrugged as she gave the example, picturing his swollen lids shut. Hands forming fists and pretending to hit him with a low ‘click’ of her tongue, his own shoving hers away roughly. Her mind giving her an excuse to get physical now he had reacted predictably.   

        “Excuse me?” he looked confused at her question but she didn’t wait for him to catch up.

        “What about outside influences? Your alone and no one is around?” She listed another example coolly.

        “Bitch, I—.”

        “Say,” Melanie whispered as she got closer to him, hand on her knife. Slipping it out of her belt holster.

        “I creep into your tent, the one where you _think_ you’re safe—” She held it high so the sun could emphasize the thickness of the sharp blade. He snapped his mouth shut quickly.

        “—and I gouge your eyes clean out of your skull.” She traced it out a good distance away in the air, listening to people rush to find Shane behind her. Dale trying to make peace and climbing down the squeaky ladder himself.

        Ed looked both angry she would dare confront him, and scared. Waiting for her to lower the knife when his fist swung to hit her while she ducked. Dropping her knife to the dirt in seconds, she wanted this to be as dirty of a fight as possible.

Ramming him in the stomach with her head. She followed through until he was off his feet, a clean tackle.

        She didn’t have time to do any more damage when Shane pulled her from him easily. Her legs kicking where her head had hit in reassurance he would be slowed down in the future. Possibly unable to retaliate any others, namely his wife and kid, as his ribs would take time to heal.

        “Hey! How bout we all cool it.” Shane had minimal struggle in containing her after she had landed the kick. Ed rolling on the ground

        “I am cool.” She wouldn’t win against Shane, having lost her fight once Ed gave her the satisfaction of kicking his side. More like, his groan of pain after gave her satisfaction, but still.

        “Doesn’t seem like it.” He laughed unconvincingly. Loosening his hold enough to set her on her feet, letting her go away from Ed. His broad shoulders a barrier in case she went for him again or vice versa.

        “Just getting my point across.” She couldn’t help but smile, shrugging. He was always looking at everyone’s body language so he should know she was finished. Plenty of other days to take Ed down a peg.

        “You so much as look at my sister like that again, I’ll make your wife a widow.” She leaned past Shane to point. Probably improve the older woman’s life drastically.

Shane’s jaw tensed but she felt she had it handled.


End file.
